Removable annunciator lamp block

ABSTRACT

An annunciator lamp block which includes a color filter laminated thereto, indicia markings on said filter, one or more lamps within the lamp block, and spring contacts between the lamps and the annunciator circuit.

United States Patent Wittman et a].

[ 51 May 2,1972

REMOVABLE ANNUNCIATOR LAMP BLOCK Inventors: Samuel Wittm'an; MarcelWittman, both of Lake Drive, Bethlehem, Conn. 06751 Filed: Oct. 16, 1970Appl. No.: 81,490

A Related US. Application Data Continuation of Ser. N0. 726,916, May 6,I968, aban doned.

US. Cl ..340/38l, 340/366 Int. Cl. ..G08b 5/00 Field of Search "340/381lllll I/Ill xx azam [56] References Cited UNITED s'mres PATENTS2,703,398 3/1955 Harrington .....34o/3s 1 Primary Examiner-Harold l.Pitts Attorney-Stall and Stoll [57] ABSTRACT An annunciator lamp blockwhich includes a color filter laminated thereto, indicia markings onsaid filter, one or more lamps within the lamp block, and springcontacts between the lamps and the annunciator circuit.

5 Claims, Drawing Figures REMOVABLE ANNUNCIATOR LAMP BLOCK REFERENCE TORELATED MATERIAL plication Ser. No. 726,752, filed May 6, 1968 andentitled Annunciator. I

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Name Number Date Grimes 2,340,053 Jan. 25,I944 Noyes 2,916,725 Dec. I8, 1959 Noyes 2,925,592 Feb. 16, I960Arrasmith 3,l07,350 Oct. l5, I963v Parsons 3,139,6l6 June 30, I964Harrington 3,241,136 Mar. 15, I966 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Theinvention comprises a lamp block for multiple signal annunciators, saidlamp block containing one or more lamps and having a color filterlaminated thereto as one wall thereof, with indicia markings on saidfilter, made visible to the eye when the lamp or lamps are lit.

In one form of the invention, the lamp or lamps are permanently encasedwithin the block. In another form of the invention, they are removabletherefrom.

In either case, the same blocks may be used for different signals havingdifferent color requirements, by the simple expedient of laminatingthereto appropriate color filters, e.g., color filters transmittingaviation yellow (amber), green,.blue and red light.

Trunions are provided on the sides of the lamp blocks to enable them topivot toward and away from a printed circuit through which they may beconnected tothe various operating and control systems which they areintended to monitor. Leaf spring contacts between the lamp blocks andthe printed circuit serve to connect the lamps to the circuit and theyalso function as mechanical biasing means to pivot the lamp blocks intoaccessible positions away from the printed circuit for removal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TI'IIF. DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side view of a lamp'block made in accordance with one form of the invention, wherein thelamps are not removable.

FIG. 2 is a view of the back of the lamp block, showing its leaf springcontact members.

FIG. 3 is an inside view of the lamp block, looking in the direction ofarrows 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a transverse section on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal section on the line 6--6 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a side view of a lamp blockmade in accordance with a secondform of this invention, wherein the lamps are removable.

FIG. 8 is an end view of said lamp block.

FIG. 9 is a longitudinal section on the line 9-9 ofFIG. 7. FIG. 10 is alongitudinal section'on the line 10-10 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 11 is a face view of a lamp block made in accordance with a thirdform of the invention.

FIG. 12 is a back view thereof, showing its leaf spring contact members.FIG. 13 is a longitudinal section on the line 13-13 of FIG. 11.

FIG. 14 is an enlarged sectional view through the color filter componentof the lamp block shown in FIGS. 1143.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION Lamp block 10 madein accordance with the first form of this invention (FIGS. 1-6)comprises a housing 12, a base14 providing a back wall for the casing, acolor filter I6 providing a front wall for the casing, one or moreminiature, high intensity lamps 18 within the casing, and a pair ofcontact members 20 serving as conductors between the lamps and theannunciator circuit. Such circuit is shown in the form of a printedcircuit on the annunciator base in the drawing of our co-pending U.S.Pat, application Ser. No. 726,752, filed May 6, I968.

The casing 12 is a plastic block (see FIG. 6) having one or morecylindrical chambers 22 formedtherein to receive and accommodate thelamps. In the illustrated form of this embodiment of the invention,three chambers 22 are provided to accommodate three lamps. These lampsare connected in parallel to conductors 24 and 26 which support them onbase 14. Conductors 24 and 26 are connected to spring contacts 20through'holes formed in the base and thereby connect the lamps to saidcontacts and to the circuits which the contacts engage.

Base 14 is also made of a plastic material and it is cemented or heatsealed to the back of casing 12, thereby closing the back of the casingand sealing it against moisture and foreign matter. Cemented or heatsealed to the front of the casing is color filter 16 which is also aplastic element. The color filter closes the front of the casing andseals it against moisture and foreign matter. The lamps and theirconductors and all inner connections are thereby protected within thecasing.

Illustrative of materials used for the plastic components of the lampblock (casing, base and color filter) are such thermoplastics as thepolycarbonates (bisphenol-a) and the acrylic resins(methyl-methacrylates).Other thermoplastic compositions, as well asthermosetting resins may be used for the lamp block components. However,the color filter must, of course, be light transmitting, eithertransparent or translucent, and the preferred materials are Plexiglas ofRohm and Haas Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (acrylate andmethacrylate resin) and Lexan of General Electric Company ofScheneccoating 32 which is black and opaque. Other colors also may beused. Both coatings cover the entire block, the color filter, casing andbase alike.

A suitable legend 34 may be inscribed upon the face of the color filter(as shown in FIGS. 11 and I4) and this may be done by various means andmethods, e.g., mechanical engraving, chemical engraving or etching, andthe like. These methods involve removal of the outer opaque coating inthe legend areas,'leaving the translucent undercoating intact.

any of the signalling purposes of annunciator systems, requiring onlythat appropriate color filters be utilizedto provide the color signalsdesired, and that appropriate legends be applied.

- Trunions 36 pivotally support the lamp block in the annunciasamechamber 4,4-while lamps l8 occupy separate chambers More specifically,.lamp block 40 comprises a casing, a base plate 48 and a color filter50, both adhesively secured or heat welded or otherwise joined to thecasing to form a closed housing for the lamps. Open end holes-52 areformed in the end walls of casing 46 through which lamps 42 may beinserted into chamber 44. Sleeves 54 are fixed within said holes toserve as socketsfor the lamp bases 56. Flanges 58 on said lamp basesabut sleeves 54 to limit inward movement of the lamps, while pivotedlocking bars 60 on the end walls of the lamp block engage the lampterminals and. lock the lamps in place. To remove the lamps, saidlocking bars are swung away from the lamp terminals and the lamps arewithdrawn from their respective sockets.

Locking bars 60 also ser've as conductors connecting the lamp terminalsto one spring contact member 62. Pins 64 and conductors 66 are includedin the circuit. Conductors 68 connect thesleeves 54, and hence the lampbases 56, to the other spring 'contact member 62. By this means,the'lamps are connected in parallel to the printed circuit base of theannunciator, as illustrated in our co-pending patent application.

As in the case of the first lamp blockabove described, lamp block 40 iscoated with an undercoating70 which is translucent and an outercoating72 which is opaque. A legend is applied to the color filter by the meansand methods above described, e.g., by chemically or mechanicallyinscribing the legend in the outer coating covering the face of thecolor filter. Similarly, lamp block 40 is provided with trunions 74 onits side walls-for pivotal mounting in the casing of a multiplecompartmented annunciator as shown in ourv co-pending patentapplication. v

Referring now to the third form of this invention (FIGS. 11-14), lampblock 8Qresembles lamp block 40 in essential details, except that itslamps 82 areinounted on base plate 84 rather than on the end wallsofthercasing. As in lamp block 40, the lamps of lamp block80 projectintoa'single chamber 86. The bases of the lamps are set' into receptacles 88which are fixed in openings formed in the base. A single locking bar 90,swivelly mounted on the base by means of a centrally disposed pin 92,looks the lamps in place. To remove and replace the lamps, the lockingbar is pivoted out of engagement with the lamps and the lamps may thenreadily be removed from their respective receptacles.

It will be noted in FlGS..12 and l3that the locking bar'also serves as aconductor, being in contact with the lamp terminals and being connectedto spring contact 94 by means of conductor 96. The lamp sockets areconnected to the otherv spring contact 98 by means of receptacles 88and-conductors 100 and 102. The lamps are accordingly connected inparallel to the printed circuit which the spring contacts engage, asshown in our co-pending patent application.

Lamp block 80, like lamp blocks and 40, is provided with a casing, abase and a color filter. Casing 104 is mounted on and secured'to base106, and the color filter 108 is mounted on and secured to the casing.in lamp block 80, the base may be made of an opaque, thermosettingplastic, such as Bakelite, a phenolformaldehyde resin made by theBakelite Company, a

' division of Union Carbide and'Carbon Corporation of New York, NewYork. Since this base does not transmit light, there is no need to coatit with an opaque coating. Consequently, the two coatings abovementioned, a translucent undercoating 30 and an opaque outer coating 32need be applied only to the coating to expose the translucentundercoating and thereby form a legend 34.

When used in an annunciator of the type shown in our copending patent-.application, lamp block 80 is pivotally mounted therein, and this maybe done by means of trunions 110 formed on casing 104 and engagingbayonet slots in the walls of the annunciator.

The foregoing embodiments are intended to illustrate, not I limit, theinvention. These embodiments may be modified, and

variations may be had, within the broad scope of the appended claims.For example, the undercoating (a translucent paint) is not an essentialor critical element of the claimed combination. It is used to diffusethe light which passes through the color filter when the lamps areenergized, and to blend the legend into the background whenthe lamps arenot energized. The translucent undercoating may be omitted to permitunobstructed transmission of light through the legend areas of the colorfilter. Moreover, when the translucent undercoating is used, it need notcoat the entire lamp block. Its function is perwherein:

formed only in the legend areas. A converse arrangement is alsofeasible, wherein the legend is coated with opaque paint and the areassurrounding the legend are free of opaque paint. Light would betransmitted through the surrounding areas and the legend would be madevisible in profile in the form of dark lettering against a lightedbackground.

What is claimed is: i

1. An annunciator. lamp block, comprising:

a. a casing, said casing comprising a base, a pair of opposed sidewalls, a pair of opposed end walls and a front wall;

b. a color filter forming said front wall of the casing;

c. at least one lamp within the casing; v

d. a legend formed on said color filter for illumination by lighttransmitted by the lamp through the color filter;

e. a pair of spring contact members being mounted on said base; a

f. at least one pivoted locking bar hingedly secured to said casing,engaging at least one of said lamps and locking the lamp in place withinsaid casing;

g. said lamps being connected by way of said pivoted locking bars tosaid contact members and said contact members being adapted forconnection to a power source;'and v 1 1 h. said side walls each beingpivoted'with an outwardly extending pivot trunion, said' pivot trunionspermitting said lamp block to pivot about an axis defined by said pivottrunions. j

2. An annunciator lamp block in accordance with claim 1,

wherein:

a. the color filter is covered with an opaque coating except in theareas comprising the legend;

b. said legend areas being covered with a light-transmitting coating. i

3. An annunciator lamp block in accordance with claim 1,

wherein:

a. the color filter is covered with a light-transmitting'coating exceptin the areas comprising the legendj b. said legend areas being coveredwith an opaque coating.

4. An annunciator lamp block in accordance with claim 1,

5; An annunciator lamp block in accordance with claim 1, wherein:

said pivoted locking bar is pivoted substantially at its center, theouter portions thereof being engagable with a pair of said lamps.

IV I! l

1. An annunciator lamp block, comprising: a. a casing, said casingcomprising a base, a pair of opposed side walls, a pair of opposed endwalls and a front wall; b. a color filter forming said front wall of thecasing; c. at least one lamp within the casing; d. a legend formed onsaid color filter for illumination by light transmitted by the lampthrough the color filter; e. a pair of spring contact members beingmounted on said base; f. at least one pivoted locking bar hingedlysecured to said casing, engaging at least one of said lamps and lockingthe lamp in place within said casing; g. said lamps being connected byway of said pivoted locking bars to said contact members and saidcontact members being adapted for connection to a power source; and h.said side walls each being pivoted with an outwardly extending pivottrunion, said pivot trunions permitting said lamp block to pivot aboutan axis defined by said pivot trunions.
 2. An annunciator lamp block inaccordance with claim 1, wherein: a. the color filter is covered with anopaque coating except in the areas comprising the legend; b. said legendareas being covered with a light-transmitting coating.
 3. An annunciatorlamp block in accordance with claim 1, wherein: a. the color filter iscovered with a light-transmitting coating except in the areas comprisingthe legend; b. said legend areas being covered with an opaque coating.4. An annunciator lamp block in accordance with claim 1, wherein: a. thecolor filter is covered with a light-colored translucent undercoating;b. a dark-colored, opaque outer coating covering said undercoating; c.said outer coating being removed from the undercoating in areas definingthe legend to expose the undercoating in those areas; d. whereby lightmay be transmitted from the lamp through the color filter andundercoating in the legend areas.
 5. An annunciator lamp block inaccordance with claim 1, wherein: said pivoted locking bar is pivotedsubstantially at its center, the outer portions thereOf being engagablewith a pair of said lamps.